From the very beginning you could see it was going to be a good, Jerry and Bret were locking eyes and smiling about something, perhaps some plan for the night. After the warm up Jerry started to extend the ride-ins and you could see we were in for a jazzy ride. Early on you could see the other members starting to perk up and the flow was on....Just one of the best shows I have ever seen.

We saw this last night at the 8th Grateful Dead Meet Up The The Movies. What a great show. I've seen the Dead over 30 times since the late 60's and this was one of the tightest shows I've ever seen. It was my wife's first Dead concert and my first one without the use of mind altering substances. LOL!

Yes, I recall this being a really, really hot day. We swam in some pool nearby with neighborhood kids. God knows where that was or how we even found it. Loads of Deadheads out of our minds swimming with young kids and families from the city. There were some pretty bad scenes in the parking lot, too, such as more than one turned over porta-potty. There definitely was some heat and misery that day, but joy too. And if I remember right there was a big thunderstorm during the show that came over the crowd like doom. A long lost friend, Steve, turned to me during Standing on the Moon and said, "Wow, Jerry really loves this song." That may be the most firm memory I have of the day. That was just one of those intense, emotional moments that, looking back, is why we did what we did, I guess. Always searching for the next moment....

Band at performing peak. Brent raving in an epic Blow Away. I wasn't at all surprised they made an official release of this one. This was the final event at iconic concrete horseshoe JFK Stadium. Because it was open on one end the acoustics were always better at JFK than "bowl" stadium shows.

I followed East Coast tours from early 1980s till the end and this was the most monstrous scene i ever saw. I remember standing in top row during Brent's rave, scanning the scene outside. It was a tie-dye city that stretched to the horizon. Heads dosing each other with spray bottles. Philly cops flabbergasted. Wonder how many people got dosed by spray that dazzling day.

Another great show,one of the best,the AUD gives you the feeling of being there,great setlist with every song being a highlight and Jerry moves me to tears on standing on the moon..such soulful vocals and solos..thanks guys!!

I saw a lot of shows in the 80's, but not this one. Listening to it, it sounds exactly like I am at one of those shows with a great seat on a night when the band is firing on all cylinders. They also played a lot of clinkers in the 80's, but shows like this made it worth it.

This was my first show, played 25 years ago to the day. The performance was tight, the set list classic, and the crowd locked in (all tens of thousands of them). I took SEPTA to the show.

WHAT? DO YOU THINK YOUR RIBCAGE IS A JAILCELL, MAMA?!

Fucking hell, Brent, you laid it out this night. What a thrill.

And I don't just mean the show - Ha ha. My god was it hot that day. I can remember it vividly to this day the walk up to the stadium. It felt as if the air had been removed from Earth. Anyway the Dead were dialed up for this tour weren't they? Watch the DVD for how Jer bear jumps into this Fire (literally). He was, as was the whole band in very high spirits. Excellent show all the way around.

Simply change the address name of any archive music page from "details" to "download."

For instance, on this page just go to:
http://archive.org/download/gd89-07-07.aud.wiley.7855.sbeok.shnf

All the files will be listed there for you to download.

If it's a SBD, you can't take the lossless files, so take the files with .vbr.mp3 extensions.

(PS. If you have a download tool like Downthemall and set a filter, you can have the whole show in about five minutes. This is by far the easiest way . . . no streaming, no software, just downloading.)

use winamp and set in prefernces under Plug-ins>Output to use disk writer. then save that link (save target as) in the web page (VBR M3U) to your desktop. right click on it and open it WITH winamp.exe. click play.
this should encode the mp3 format files into .wav files. this might take 10-15 minutes. you can then use itunes to import the wav files into itunes. then sync.

how do i download this off the internet and be able to put in itunes and on my ipod because it only puts them in the internet songs witch dont synch i just want to jam when im at work is that to much ive ben searching for an answer for three years now!!!!!!!!

This show is proof of the existence of extra-terrestrial life...there isn't a note out of place...it's better than 5/8/77, mainly because Keith's playing doesn't hold a candle to Brent's...there, I said it.

My 1st dead show, changed my life 4ever. What an amazing day. 1st set was in the day, 2nd set at night. Ill never forget being crammed up front during box of rain/scarlet/fire and the roadies were hosing us all down. It was super hot. But the Dead were much hotter!

I bought this CD/DVD,just the other day....And there`s nothing I can do to hold back the tears from my eyes when I see Jerry smile.The 1st set was typical late `80s music...very nice "Ramble on Rose."The 2nd set though,was pretty sweet!An opening "Box of Rain>Scarlet>Fire"would get the crowd goin` anyday.Then,the"SOTM,"played out of place compared to the`90s,is delightful,to say the least...But the showstopper of the evening was the 1st set closer,"Blow Away."Brent nailed that one.He does a similar version on,12/8/89 in Los Angeles,CA.When he shouted,"Stop!"then proceded to tell us the meaning of,"Real Love."Moments like that,define how special a Grateful Dead concert was.There will never be another band,that`ll carry the power to influence thousands,in the manner in which Jerry and the Boy`z did.....ever!!...We miss you so much Jerry....So very,very much.....That`s REAL LOVE!!

This knocks me out every time I listen to it. (Which is often) Grate muscianship personified and an incredible Healy mix. I have about two thousand shows. (268 auds and the rest sbds) It's hard for me to rank them but I like this as much as anything I have. Deadheads check out Ekoostik Hookah. Start with 6-30-07, 10-19-07 & 3-28-08. I'm not comparing them to the Grateful Dead because no band can. I just think alot of you will like them.


I originaly reviewed this last July 6th. Now I see this version is an aud. My version is a DSBD/AUD Healy mix. I have a brother who hooked me up with a couple hundred shows. I'll bet that's where I got it. I'm amazed how many shows he hooked me up with that have no SBD on the archives.

YES TRIPP'ING I MET TIPING,MY ASS OFF ! GIVING BACK TO THE BOY'DS IN THE BAND ALL THE LOVE THEY WERE THROWING OUT THAT DAY AND NOGHT ! THE SUGAR CUBE'S WERE CHELVIA'S BEST !AND OUT OF ONLY SAY 20 SHOW'S IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST ! OCT 16TH 89 MY BIRTHDAY & BOB'S ,BIRTHDAY ! WAS A SHOW IN NEW JERSEY ! NIGHTFALL ? AT ?DIAMOND'S !? OFFICAL RELEASE ! WAS UNREAL-AND I WAS BLESSED TO GET TOT THE NEW YEAR'S SHOW 89-90,BILL GRAM CAME DOWN INTO AN EGG ! dRESSED AS A CHICKEN !WITH BONNIE RATT SAY'IN SHE WAS QUITING THE MUSIC BUSSINESS.!HER & JERRY PLAYED BIG BOSS MAN TOGETHER ! AND SORRY TO RAMBLE ON BUT -(DARK-STAR)` I SEEN AT VERY LEAST 5 TIME'S ! I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE ARE A FEW THAT HAVE BEEN TO HUNDRED'S OF SHOW'S-AND NEVER GOT TO HEAR`DARK-STAR ! I AM BLESSED ! GOD BLESS THEM ALL -I KNOW YOU RIDER GOING TO MISS ME WHEN I AM GONE !JFK THE OTHER ONE WAS INSANE ! & THE SPARK;S WERE FLY'IN ! THE ROOF WAS ON FIRE ! & IT WAS SPARKING BAD ! AND THE BATHROOM'S WERE SO BACKED UP ! LIKE A LAKE OF PISS ! WELCOME TO phila! AND IN THE FRONT PAGE ON THE COUIER POST ! GRATEFUL DEAD PLAY'S `AT JFK BUILDING IS CONDEMDED ! AND WAS TORN DOWN NOT TO LONG AFTER THE SHOW ! OH YEA (MARCH FOR WORLD-PEACE ) @ NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK & (DAKOTA) APT HOUSE JUNE 2OTH SUNDAY 10 O'CLOCK -WE MARCH FOR WORLD PEACE & HONOR JOHN WINSTON LENNON !MARCH FOR WORLD PEACE-PASS IT ON ,CAN -NOT MAKE IT? NO pROBLEM? DO IT ! ALL OVER THE WORLD! TWO HOUR'S !10 TO 12 NOON JUNE 20TH SUNDAY CENTRAL-PARK & ALL OVER THE WORLD ! JUST DO IT ! HONOR OUR FALL'EN TROOPS !& JOHN LENNON! JUNE 20TH SUNDAY(PEACE-MARCH)

Never made it to any summer 89’ shows. On probation no way to go. It was really cool to read your posts about taking the bad with the good. 89 was the last great year I really hate I missed that summer.

Thanks for all the reviews! They pretty much say it all but I'll ad my $.02. I was fortunate to pick up an advance copy of the CD/DVDs and am watching/listening now. Definitely worth picking up!

This was the summer before my senior year. I was 16. My freinds and I decided to hit as many shows as we could that summer. We trucked up to Buffalo for a great show and made it to Philly with more than enough time to get a great parking spot and set up the tent. The vibe of this show was memorable as has been mentioned and its been great reading the anecdotes. Its funny the stuff you remember. We all distinctly remember seeing a guy pass out and hearing his head thud as we made our way to our spots on the field on Phil's side. Could have been a bummer but he was attended to and the overall vibe was so positive.

A few points I haven't seen made: Phil's bass intro to the Other One just thundered. He didn't always do it in this era and it was awesome. This show sounded great from where we were.

I was a Brent fan and never really understood the older head's animosity. This was certainly an awesome Brent show. I don't think it was the best Blow Away ever - the drummers are out of synch and off tempo at the start - but the Brent rap was certainly the best Brent moment I ever saw or have heard. "There's something I've been trying to get through to you." Brent would often go for things vocally and come up a bit short of his aim. Vocal improv ain't easy (Pigpen was a master). Here he just goes for it and nails it!

In his generally negative Allmusic review of the official realease, Jeff Tamarkin uses this Blow Away to state "Mydland's preening and improvising quickly goes from awkward to annoying over the course of the song's dozen minutes, and makes one wish for one of the band's principal vocalist/writers to wrest the microphone away and implore him to stick to backup vocals." Well by all accounts, they were pushing him to do more! Some people still don't get it, and that's ok. At least take solace in the fact that Jerry seemed to love playing with the guy. But even if you're not a Brent fan, you gotta have a pretty hard heart not to admit that the soul-baring emotion poured forth here and connection with the crowd is impressive. It sure made me grin! A totally memorable, touching moment.

By the way, Blow Away appears to have been Jerry's idea here. He's the one who starts it up after Let It Grow and he is all smiles. You can see him lean over to Brent as they go into Let It Grow and appear to tell him he wants to do Blow Away next. I love how Brent pops in a piece of gum at the start like "here we go!"

And what a treat to be able to wander back to the tent to discuss what was just witnessed. It wasn't yet downhill from here. What a summer!

This is what folks are talkin' about when they say the '80s were the bomb. Great show.

this was a great show take a listen enjoy!!!

In a few days this will be just another in the endless line of commercially released GD shows.

Classic night for dead heads of the era. The energy of the band was the driving source of fun. Although I have hazy memories of those days. Like the previous reviewer, I CLEARLY remember seeing the swirling masses of thousands on the floor from my perch all the way back and in the top end of the stadium for the beginning of the second set. Almost like a flock of starlings cruising the sky but in slow motion. There were complete sets of speakers in the rear of the floor area for the people up in the rear could hear clearly. You know Jerry is having fun on stage when he holds out the "nnD" when he sings "...in the heart of gold bannnnnD" during Scarlet-Fire. What a scene.

i get goose bumps thinking of this show.for 2 days jfk stadium was at the center of the universe.i remember looking out at the 100,000 plus people inside and watching a wave spin around the stadium.everything about that show was awesome...the people....the dancing....the singing...the band.....the energy .....memories that bring me joy on the worst days.this show was the complete and total embodiment of the grateful dead experience.the years i spent on tour where some of the happiest times of my life,and this show reminds me how much i miss jerry.

I REMEMBER BITCHING ABOUT SUCKY SHOWS,BUT NOW
I WOULD GIVE ALL THAT I HAVE TO BE AT A BAD GRATEFUL DEAD SHOW RIGHT NOW

One of my all-time favorite shows. It was nights like this that kept all of us coming back for more.

Miss you, Jer & Brent...

Cannot believe I missed this one. It just is not fair. Saw the Dead many times at the Spectrum, 1st 4/08/1985. Believe it or not, I was starting to lose interest in them at this time in '89. I saw some crummy shows at the rectum in '88 and decided to fade out for a while. I did catch the stones across the street in Sept. I did see the Dead at this venue with Dylan in '87. The Dylan was absolutely ridiculously bad, but the Dead were good. All one set I believe. Listening to this show, I think it rates as the best the band ever did in Philly, and as they played the rectum like 50 some times going back to '68 that is saying something. This stadium has an incredible history to it. Originally called Phila. Municipal Stadium until renamed after the assasination of J.F.K. One of the most famous boxing matches of all time took place here in the '30's Tunney vs. jack Dempsey. I remember my father taking me to the Flyers parade in '75 after they won their 2nd stanley cup. I was only 6 years old but I remember all these naked streakers running down the field (truly 70's craziness). Anyway, how can you beat the Dead closing this place! Totally historically creepy. Can't believe they did not do Samson and Delilah! But the show was very well played in this huge sprawling American stadium. Something epic about the ambiance of this show. Anyway they are closing the Rectum this year. The Dead will play one more concert here on May 1st, 2nd 2009. Fortunately, I will be at both shows. Looking for Samson and Delilah on May 2nd. Right across the street from old J.F.K. Hope to see you there.

Yes my Brother I remember the Fat Chick Rolling around in the Mud quite well...(Whoop O'h Boy) just started getting off on the 3 Blue Lightning Bolt hits I took ...OMFG Psychedelic is a under statement! Hot as all hell that day but damn what a awesome show!

i was there and you hit it right on the head. i remember everything you mentioned and everytime i hear blow away from this show i still get a chill down my spine as i do with every memerable moment from all the shows i've seen.

never gave this song a chance, but holy shit the last half of this song is fuckin sick interplay between Brent and Jerry

Wow what a show, it was like the hottest day ever in the city. Many heads will tell you that this could have been the best show ever IHO.
I couldn't believe all the ppl that showed up. Every single parking lot for miles was full of heads.

PPl on the floor where holding up there tickets to sell to collectors because it was to be the last show at JFK. I also remember
ppl taking chunks of concrete home in their backpacks.

Lots of paper - I believe woodstocks I think"! wait I also think blue lighting bolts boy where they strong, lol.

THE BEST SCARLET FIRE EVER! Brent's Blow away in the first set "do you guys remember open up that fist , feel that breeze -oh my god this band was was insane- a breeze came by that no one in that huge concrete thing could not deny it to be true. Also does anyone remember the guy that jumped of the back of JFK during Wharf Rat(ill get up and fly aw***), they
said he bounced, and lived omg no joke. (I think RfDead is correct a Girl fell off and lived) correction

Shaman effect is a good way that darazn1 describes it. And being possible # uno show of the 80's period. VERY intense lot scene!!!! ppl where going across rt 95 to a public pool or somekind of pool in heards going in and out like a cattle drive every one was wondering where the water drenched ppl where coming from very strange.

My wife though the keys to our rabbit in the trash at the end of the night and we couldn't
get into our car - I said I bet you throw them away, we looked in trash there they were. OMFG.

Echoing what Emmell said- "Sweltering heat and high humidity in a crumbling venue. People laid out on the grass in various stages of dehydration"
he was not joking at all. I also remember getting up and going down into the stadiums food / drink/ rest room area, there where oil / hazardous barrels off to the side with just caution tape to keep you away from all the toxic waste and crumbled up junk. The JFK staff had a big fight with GD crew
and the philly fire department wanted it shut down at around 1-2 in the afternoon. that's when things started getting of the hook -80 90 thousand heads and your going to shut the place down "you cant do that"
all kinds of rumors of what was going to happen it was a real life soap opera. They deciding to let the show go on and one hell of a show it was. Out of the 85 -90 shows i caught
this was in my top three. 5 stars all the way many ppl where changed for life after this one included yours truly -
although RFK 90 was so similar and awesome too.
Wanna see Garcia one last time for real??? No joke- follow this holy grail and Make a night out of this show and your dreams
might just come true too, just beleive!!!!!!!!!!!

This was my last in a long life of shows. I started seeing the band in 1978. By this year I had 3 kids and was deep in marriage and all that stuff. What a treat to have this as my last show with Jerry. I have seen many shows recently with Phil and Bobby but this one is etched in my memory. A truly hot day in Philly in all aspects.

God bless the Grateful Dead and thank you Jerry!!

This was the first show for me.Stationed in the navy in Philly,some friends of mine talked me into going to this show.Not for the music,but for the recreational activities.While the recreation was every thing they said it would be....and more!!It was the music that changed my life.I had never listened to the Dead before.But from the very first notes of Hell in a Bucket...I GOT IT!!!I was hooked.I left Philly with a new song in my heart and was stationed in San Francisco. What a blessing that was,I saw as many shows as I could. I am forever changed and forever GRATEFUL.

I can confirm that 100%

I have had a superb audience of this show for many years but just checked out this Healy mix---well it actually sounds more aud. that sbd. but that's okay 'cause it sounds wonderful.

This is one of those all time great shows. Certainly one oftheir best stadium gig in this year and '90. Only Three Rivers in '90 gets close to this and even then the emotion of this show overwhelms it. I can feel this show when I listen to it and I wasn't there!

Truly inspiring. So many highlights I won't even mention them. We all know them. Okay! But just three. The SOTM deserves special mention as does the Scar>Fire. Lovelight is a special treat and it's how you can tell these guys were really on this night.

I know some people don't likesound the reminiscing reviews and just want the goods but they can kiss my ass. Many of the reviews here are deeply moving and make me feel like I'm still part of a great community as aoposed to a little downloader sitting at home with his finger on the "enter" button. And that's what it has always been about.

I saw Rich and Alpine this summer. The Alpines were great shows. Oddly "they" put out the Rich show for us. Not nearly as good as this one, Lemieux. Get with it, buddy! I wish I'd seen this one too.

In the fall I came to Philly to see them play the Spectrum and it met every expectation. I loved the crowd and the people I met. Many kind moments. There were a few key places to see the Dead and this Philly was one of them. Thank you for a real good time!

The freakiest thing was the lack of a solid Shakedown St. but I was told it was over at the JFK lot and we walked over. I could see what looked like a semi-demolished stadium in the distance in the darkness looking like the hull of a shipwreck. It spooked me and we decided to just head back to the motel.

Love you Philly! Many wonderful shows from both these venues.

This show changed my life...An experience that I'll take to my death bed. Truly amazing.

Thank you of course to the band, thank you to the comments from the fans, thank you to the tapers and the up loaders and the mix doctors and the sharers, and blanks and postage people, friends, fans. Thank you JFK for falling down and being condemned, thank you god for a hot as ba**s day - thank you crowd for being pumped out of your minds (crazy from the heat) thank you to my brother who missed the exit and took a detour through the airport to get back to the stadium - (go to the airport, go to the airport) a town he grew up in - er ah where you going man....???

We were to the left of Jerry three rows up on the metal risers with the big screen and speakers in our face - and a very visible (life size) looking band - of course I lost my mind - on Let it Grow having been partial to Weather Report Suite for Years and I love shows that kick off with Hell in a Bucket, Iko, Iko is such good fun - what music should be, and Wharf Rat always gets me...everyone's comments bring back such lightning bolt memories - it was all there - the toxic waste drums with the half ass*d yellow tape sort of up and leaking.....

The maddening heat - the exhausted, going for it dance a thon - the rumor mill about the condition of the stadium - during the freakin'show - I think made people just dance harder in the stands..the closing venue atmosphere - the grab for bits and pieces of the stadium on the way out - somebody wrote he got clunked in the head with concrete and loved every minute of it - only in Philly, only in Philly - dead heads everywhere - wall to wall parking lots full of revelers coming, going, staying, looking for keys (LOL) - that's awesome. I always somehow walk straight back to the car - good directional skills - don't even check what row - you know - one year coming out of a dead show Jerry scrambled my tuning fork up so bad I couldn't find my damn car - a lot time and wandering went by - that whole summer until I went back to another show - I could never find my car in parking lots - I would just get outside the mall or whatever and just laugh - damn you Garcia - where's my car...and after the next show re-calibrated - I love the dead for stuff like that...

Back at JFK I had water to share and was greeted upon leaving the show by a desperate but happy, thirsty mini mob - A guy looked at me an hollered "water, water" at the top of his lungs (we had carried several jugs in and had a almost full one coming back out) a swarm of people turned - Boy did I hand that jug off fast - someone yelling "just give it to them." "Thank you, thank you - desert island stuff ...man we had fun, laughed at everything, slack jawed and amazed all day - at everything and everyone - including our moronic selves.

It was a riotous event, the band, the sun set - big fat orange, hazy sun going down - the Brent breeze it was all there - even that stupid plane flying over head - thank you everyone for this database - and those reminiscing I haven't had the old steal your face right off your head smile in a long, long, time -

other shows out here are doing the same thing for me - helping me to remember and I'm freakin' remembering, long term memory not as shot as the short term - WOW - what hot fun in the city, in the summer - I was blown away by how good this show was considering there were about 100,000 people there - and crazy open stadium acoustics but big time energy, big time sound system and big time fun - thank you EVERYONE! From the bottom of my heart.

Paul
Author - Journey Home

Does any body recall the fat lady(the pig) that was sprawled out on the lawn as the Dead began the show? We were dead center about 5 or 6 rows back on the floor and the pig was passed out taking the space of about 5 people. Finnaly the crowd had enough tried to wake her but to no avail. So push came to shove and a group of people lifted her as she layed lifelessly proceded to bring her to the barrier between the crowd and the band and just dropped her down allowing much more dance room. Dont recall what happened to her after that but would not be surprised if she were still there. What a day!!!!

Hearing that show again..... what a great time. My first and only Dead Show. Nearly a score later and the memories are as vivid as though it were yesterday. Thanks for the music to go with them.

Every one of us heads has a show that was life changing. This is mine. I've never been the same since this show. My other two friends that I was with that day still say the same also.

This is the best show I've ever attended in all aspects. Crowd, music, set list, and most of all - The VIBE! What a vibe there was that day. This was my first outdoor GD show and the craziest crowd I was ever in. I mean it was insanity all day. It seemed like the Dead were f-ing with our heads. Of course, the 5 different kinds of paper we sampled before the show had a lot to do with it, but never-the-less me and my two friends were tinkering on the edge of insanity all day. To make things even stranger, we had a parapalegic in a wheel chair sitting behind us and partying with us just as hard as we were. It didn't seem like he was with anyone else. How did he get there??

Hornsby and the Range opened up and then the Dead came on as the sun was beginning its descent. As they played it seemed like the music was pulling the sun down. They amazingly ended their 1st set just as the sun dipped below the coliseum. What perfect timing.

The boys were really on this day too. Iko Iko had everyone doing a tribal like clap-chant thing and then came the best Rooster I've ever heard to this day and I'm not a big Rooster fan. But listen to the use of Jerry's MIDI on this. I thought it was me that day hearing it that way but listening back - it really was sounding like that. Whew! I wasn't losing my mind after all.
Bobby's screaming during Hell in a Bucket and Memphis Blues sent shivers through my nervous system that is still vibrating to this day.
Jerry sang a passionate Ramble On Rose while I watched a hippie chick do a swirling dance with a bottle of Vodka in one hand. How did she get that in??
Brent pours everything he has into Blow Away.

Does anyone remember the microphone stands on the stairways all around the coliseum that day? You had to literally walk around them to get to your seats. The whole first set we were wondering why they were there. Then at the intermission we found out. All those microphones came on and picked up thousands of conversations and relayed them out of the house PA. In turn, this sounded like a whirl wind of spirits flying around the coliseum. Did I mention that they were f-ing with our heads that day? It was like an Acid Test. I couldn't move. We were glued to our benches. So much for trying to get up to go and get a drink at intermission.

The 2nd set was just as stellar. I traveled through a hundred universes and dimensions that day which I still haven't fully returned from. I knew right then and there that I wasn't going to be the same from this day on and I'm not. In good way of course. When the last note of Knockin ended and the crowd started leaving, we sat there wondering - what the hell just happened here! We were STILL glued to our benches. In fact I think we were the very last ones to leave the coliseum. What normally would have been an hour train ride back home took us several hours as we kept getting off at the wrong stops.

Two days later we went to see The Who across the street at the Vet and would you believe I was still weirded out from that Dead show two days before. What an impact that show left and I'm still wondering - what the hell happened that day!!!

For those who weren't there, this is a Philly classic and every song here is top quality. It deserves 10 stars if I could give it.

How would I download this audio. This was my 1st Dead show and I would really like to keep it in my private collection.

This was a great show to end JFK. That night some girl fell off of the top of the place and survived. Dylan played in 1987 and not at this show.

a very well played show from start to finish...highlights include the 'anatomy-lesson' blow away and a high energy scarlet/fire...just about every song played could be considered a very good version though, and if you like this period, then this is most def worth a listen

the mammoth horseshoe stadium was packed to the gills and the weather and the band were equally scorching...100,000 plus friends having nothing but fun and music on a hot summer's day

if i had my way
i would tare this old building down...
was'nt bob dylan involved in this?
i'll never forget the last song played at this dinosaur of a building......
but i swear it was part of the dylan and the dead tour
p.s. it sucks getting old

Great show! Probably the best one I ever saw. BUT, listening to it now, as is way too common from this era, I don't hear Weir's guitar. Occasionally it pops up in the mix when it's absolutely necessary but otherwise it's not up in the mix - at least to my ear. This has always frustrated me.

One of the best shows of the 80's though.
Thanks.

This was like my 11th show, having the seen Band for the first time at JFK in 87. 19, just graduated high school was time to really experience the Band and this show was definetly one of my best. Since me and my crew lived in the burbs, we didnt drive down but instead took the el and the subway, nothing really special about that except the ride home was alot of fun. Man it was hot that day, so hot that the new tie dye I bought for the occasion at CRITTERS (this would be my last tie dye by the way, never really liked them much although my GF at the time loved them)bled to my skin... I found this out when I decide to take the shirt off and put it on my head bandana like... looked cool to me. Anyway the show rocked and so did JFK!!!!! Literally that place feel apart that night. The best memories were the intermission wave that seemed to go on forever plus I couldnt take my eyes of the dancers down on the floor during the first set. As to JFK... The Eagles had played in the vet since it opened in the early 70s.... The Who played the vet that summer, not JFK.... The Stones did a few sound checks in JFK but the city said to them you will have to play the vet.. The dead refused to, thankfully play at the vet... So the Dead not only closed Winterland 11 years earlier they also closed JFK and thank God I was there to witness it. As for this recording, I have listened to the whole thing thru my comp speakers and it sounds wonderful... Wish I could DL it and listen to it on the home system... But we can thank BOB for that not happening... Oh well..

ONE of my first shows..... I Also saw Pink Floyd And the Stones
there IN the early 80's . One of the best dead shows i ever saw.....
the second set was awesome...... thanks for all the memories

A great night. i think the Who played there one or two nights prior, then the boys, and then they pretty much never used this building for anything. I think the Philadelphia Eagles moved to the Vet, and I don't know if JFK is even there anymore. Very humid night, and the music just f l o w e d !!!

Probably the greatest GD show I ever witnessed. Roaring hot day in the 90's.... out on the pavement. 2nd set should get its own Liquid Blue shirt by itself. Man, I had a blast that day in Philly!! G' bless JFK stadium!

Outstanding performance! This has to be considered one of the top fifty performances of their career, and definitely one of the ten best of the Eighties. Truly a pleasure to listen to!

everyone talks about small venues but they really always seemed to bring it to the big stadium stops in New York and Philadelphia etc.

the recordings are often better also

This was a smokin hot day in just about every respect. The crowd outside before the show and inside during was as pumped as Ive ever seen. The band was hot the whole day. First and only scarlet fire I ever saw. Been to shows from carrier dome in october 84 through the meadowlands in 94. This one was as good as any i ever saw or heard

Just read Phil's book "Searching for the Sound." According to him, Summer tour '89 was the last tour for quite a while when jerry was clear of the H.

I just checked out the Scarlet>Fire and the Other One>Wharf Rat>Lovelight. I don't know why this show has not been released. It might even be the single greatest Dead show of the '80's. The band is confident, fully communicative, rocking and psychedelic at the same time, with the shaman effect in full swing.

The recording definitely sounds like an audience. There's some weird level adjustments in the middle of the Scarlet jam. Nonetheless, I hope this show sees the light of day.

When my friends might ask me, "what is a grateful dead show like," I would like to be able to share this one with them. This is music that dances in the stratosphere of the spirit with confidence, precision, communication, and awareness. This is not a meditation, this is a concert. The Dead doing what they do the very best that they do it.

I haven't heard every Blow Away but I've never heard Garcia play slide on it before. This era had them transitioning in BA really well, usually by Garcia. Pretty sweet.

Unfortunately i wasnt at the show given that i was only six years. Fantastic show, 89 rocks

Is it just me, or does every single show from the summer and fall of 1989 rock from start to finish? This is yet another example that proves that the boys were not done after 1977.

Listen for a nice Blow Away, a smoking Scarlet Fire, a fine Knockin' encore, and one of the finer SOTM's. Of course the SOTM is nice because way too many of them occured in the last few years and featured Jerry's dying voice. This one sounds nice, and while Jerry ain't perfect, he's pretty good.

As far as the AUD thing is concerned...this is a Healy matrix. I don't know much about sound/recording/etc., but I'm pretty sure that Healy matixes are pretty reliable and true. but I'm no expert

@chi11,

I concur. Sounds like shotguns on a *tall* stand in the center of the pit.

The soundfield of the audience is too stable to be a board. Very Nice tape in any event.

10 yards from the stage, very hot day.... cooling off in the water fountains pouring off the sides of the field then back to the stage...What a memory!!!

This was one of favorite 'stadium' shows, by far! 1989 - good time, good year. Just got back from Foxboro and Buffalo, luckingly, at the time I was living just outside of Philly - 1 hr. - away from JKF (yes, I miss it !! )

The Other One-> Wharf Rat-> was great too - a hot day, hot first set (Let It Grow and awasome Blow Away !!!!!!!) (even the band was Blown Away by Brent) - perfect 2nd set ... lot's of good recorings of this were around just after the show as we had a few day break before going Alpine ( I had to miss a few shows and kinda finish college)

One of my personal 'top - tens ' .... Did I mention Scarlet -> Fire

Blew me away.. ...

i have tears of joy in my eyes, it has been such a long time....so glad i found this site. i am glad it really was as good as i remember!!

Went straight to the Scarlett/Fire and was not disappointed. Jerry is steady and hypnotic and the weave with Brent is nice. No lag or loss of energy into Fire here either. Everyone's chuggin'. Jerry's got the hand-crank machine gun thing going in Fire. It just keeps comin' at ya. What a great song Hunter /Hart wrote. One of my favorites of many that I interpret as speaking to the Deadhead experience. In this case, all those long distance runners on tour.

This was my last show after 13 years of East Coast touring and what a freekin'BLAST! Three of us crammed in the front seat of a little Pick up truck, bounced up from Northern Va. The vibe was really intense all around the Just Freekin' Kiddin' Stadium. Dosey Doed and got lost. Just by chance I ran into my brother who was fresh out of Unc's Navy.
We were right up front for Bruuuuce who looked to be 20 ft tall with his squeeze box. Jerry looked even taller!
The next day we trucked down to Merriweather and caught ABB. Both days were totally out of control.

This summer this show are legendary JFK was a brutaly hot day and the the whole vibe was nuts. Epic Powerhouse performance. This recording really puts you right in the thick of it.

One of the best of summer 89.

However, I still think the 3-26-90 Blow Away smokes this one.

The Scarlet Jam with Jerry and Brent reading eachother's minds is pretty neat. Lovelite is excellent too, with a false ending very much like 6-14-91. I only got to see the Alpine shows from this tour, but these guys were ON for this whole east/midwest tour. Check out the new "Truckin Up To Buffalo" DVD (7/4/89). Great show too, as well as the "Downhill from Here" video release of 7-17-89.

I remember that day vividly.It was a very beautiful warm clear day. The energy in the parking lot and in the show was intense.When they broke into aiko aiko, the crowd went crazy and the beach balls went flying. The whole stadium was doing a giant wave, I have been to a ton of concerts, but never ever seen anything like that. The band and the crowd were just feeding off one another.

The sound in the stadium was the best that I have ever heard.

Thanks guys for a GREAT SHOW.

I GOT A LATE START BUT THIS WAS MY 1ST SHOW ...AND JFK'S LAST CONCERT...LATER THE STADIUM WAS TORN DOWN

And I remember it well. It set the stage for 5 more years of three tours a year, and all the great shows up and down the Eastern Seaboard. I grew up in philly, but didn't start seeing shows until 1989, when I was in college in Ithaca, NY. We could travel to shows like this one and crash at my parent's house - crazy times! I'm so glad to have found this show today, and this whole huge resource! I had just recorded a copy of this show onto discs from my old cassette copy - this sound quality is excellent..Thank you!!!

Agree with all the comments about the quality of the performance. This is one of my alltime faves.

But this recording sounds more like a very good AUD, not a board/aud mix. It's most apparent in the vocals and snares and cymbals, where you get some of the telltale phasing effects.

Lotsa taper made excellent recordings of this show because the sound at JFK was so huge and you basically were recording in the free field. I was right behind the taper section for the entire show and it sounded pretty much like this tape does. I'd speculate it shotguns from the section pointed right at the stacks (comparing it to the FOB copies I have), but that's just a guess.

It *could* be a board mix, but I'm a tad skeptical. Great sounding tape though.

Dear Deadheads, this show is truly awesome ÃÂ down load it now. This show is stellar from start to finish, lots of energy, love and Pure Jerry. A Classic Show. This site is amazing, I feel like I am 14 again listening to my first bootlegs and the Dead Hour.

This is not only a 1989 gem, it is a Grateful Dead historic gem. As Master Reviewer Gravy 77 states below: ÃÂI have probably listened to this show 200 times and it kicks my ass every time.ÃÂ Usually I make one CD of highlights per concert. For this 7-7-89 I have recorded every song on 2 CDÃÂs except box of Rain, drums, and ÃÂjam.ÃÂ Why? Because every song is very very good and half of them are great. Standouts are Hell, Scarlet, Fire, Other One, Wharf , Lovelight, HeavenÃÂs Door, and huge big wow what was that and why didnÃÂt it happen all the time for Blow Away. Blow Away blew me away. I hope that version appears elsewhere but I have not heard it. See Excellent Reviewer Brother Brent (below) for further insight into Blow Away. I totally agree. I never gave Brent his due. Now that I have access to all of the recordings in his time with the Dead my opinion of him has really gone up. And frankly, my opinion of Keith G. has gone down.

There is a good mix of soundboard and crowd, actually a perfect mix for me. You really get the feeling you are at the concert. I do not download ÃÂAudÃÂ recordings but love it when is a soundboard with audience. Frankly, I am perplexed that there are 4 Star reviews here. Jerry and Bob do not screw up the lyrics. The band energy is very high, the crowd energy is very high, and the recording is crisp and clear. This is clearly a 5 Star performance to me and once I get organized and categorized I am confident this will be in my top 15%. 5 STARS!!

1 of the best knocking on heaven's door i've ever heard.... jerry's guitar is crisp... brent, and bobby back him up nice on the chorus... jerry's midi pedal is having some fun... with the echoey type sounds heard in the solos.... god i love it... lol awesome show.... get it now...

During the Blow Away at that show, I knew I was part of something special. I had never heard the song before, but there was something so electrifying about it that could not be denied.

Listening again, I am Blown away again. This vocal performance on this song is incredible- so much soul, so much angst...wow. Perhaps his finest moment in the band.

I am glad to see so many people giving this scarlet-fire the recognition it richly deserves. It is truly one of the best of all time. Overall, this is one of the finer shows I ever attended.

This show should be up on shelves. What an incredible sound. The quality is amazing and the set list is perfect. Blow Away is great and so is Rooster. If you like this show, check out "Dozin' at the Knick" They're about the same year. A+++++++++++

The last show at JFK before the shut it down... thank God they did too. It was falling apart. Not a huge rooster fan but this one Rocks. Brent is On FIRE~

Amazing to hear how quite a huge stadium audience gets when Jerry sings a brand new song!

Great sounding CD!

I want a copy of EVERY show from 1987 through July 1990. Best stretch of shows since 1976-1978.

Check out that Rooster Jam and Blow Away. And the sound is pretty good too.

Jerry diggin' his MIDI Stratocaster during Space. Imagine if this band had 1989 technology in 1966! Listen to The Other One, then think about a small San Francisco dance hall filled with heads dosed to the gills on monumental amounts of Owsley acid.

Ever see the movie "Scanners"?

I barely made it out of this show alive and intact... be sure to wear protective goggles.

Nice levels on this SBD, too.

This was the second show I went to and I remember it being extremely hot. My friends and I settled in high Phil side to watch the show and what a performance we saw. Listening to the show again brings back many memories and I thank Archive for letting me hear this show again. The show definately gets four stars in my book. GET OUT OF MY SKY YOU FILTHY AIRPLANE.

i just listened to bucket and part of iko...maybe it;s bc i just woke up and i dont have my "ears" on yet, but something seems to be missing in terms of quality...i noticed i could hardly hear brent at all on iko, and maybe too much of the high end on this one?? i;m sure show is hot from the other reviewers but i am not sure about the quality is all...do i need more coffee maybe ??? back in my old tape trading days i would grab this in a heart beat...but not so sure about now

whoa! its rare that they come firing out of the gates like this and sustain alllll the way through. this is a top 10 show of all time. lots o' energy. the Blow Away is insane. Jerry's fills are superb, and brent just lets loose. THe scarlet-fire is insane (fire esp). Wow were they tight on this day. i just dont understand anyone who rates less than 5*s for this effort.

sound quality gets a 5 star as well. excellent mix of sound and audience. Healy messed up plenty of shows, but when he got it right, its better than anything out there.

This recording is well done, clear and crisp. Definately worth the download. Jerry is still kicking on this one and Brent throws in something extra with the effort. Does anyone remember the fiber glass splinters in you legs from those yellow bleachers at this bender?

A buddy of mine and I hitch hiked from Ocean City NJ to see this show. He got in and I didnt, but I remeber sitting in the lot and making my own fun, but being sick that I didnt make it in. I have probably listened to this show 200 times and it kicks my ass every time.

this was my last brent show, he really hit it on Blow away. I really finally got into him and then he was gone. Also last JFK show , I think the boys sent it out on a good note. Worth the download.

This show is so solid. First set, well, just had a magical energy, right from the start. The fact that it wasn't over after 'Let it Grow', left everybody grinning. And what a treat Brent gave, wonder what got him all jacked up? This 'Blow Away' is just amazing. At the end, when Brent is just going off, I remember seeing Jerry just keeping the groove going, and a BIG GRIN on his face, and well, kind of dancing. Just that constant bounce in his step kind of thing. This was a show was, well, what made it all worthwhile. Oh yeah, it was hotter that witch's you know what. Dick's Picks material? You betcha.

Great show folks! A hot day, in an unusually hot summer... Hardly any shade, and didn't seem to stop anyone from enjoying themselves... Last event ever held in this stadium too, as the building was condemned, and closed that night forever... Went down in great style! Great Iko, and one of the best Blow Aways I've ever heard, and I am glad that I was there to see it. Fire hoses trying to blast the heat from the crowd, and hoses with holes drilled in to keep sustroke to a minimum, made for one of the best shows on the east coast that year...! Rock on

I love the balance on this one- clear sound of the whole band and just enough crowd noise to get the feel of the audience.

Listening to an already-fading Jerry croak 'A lovely view of heaven, but I'd rather be with you' still makes me shiver.

One of my all time favorite first sets. Not only is it a strong set list but all the tunes are played with enthusiasm and creativity. The somewhat unusual Iko location, Garcia just going nuts during it. A killer Loser with Mydland just laying down a heavy key line that perfectly suits the song's theme. Jerry's Ramble on with great MIDI effects. Weir just smoldering through Let it Grow and then Brent absolutely tears the house down with *the definitive Blow Away. Older Heads gave BM a hard time for a long time, and sadly, it wasn't until his passing and the professional, though largely uninspired work of Welnick (and to a lesser extent Hornsby) that people started giving Brent his due. The guy's pipes were the blues. The evident emotion and pain as he rips through Blow Away will leave you with chills.

The second set has a great Scarlet>Fire and O1>Wharf Rat (granted, neither is a uniqure pairing, but well played).

The sound quality is very good, well worth the d/l.

Highly Recommended

Simply Blows Me Away!!

I remember something hitting my head pretty hard at this show and it wasn't a chunk of concrete. What a great way to say goodbye to JFK.

Sweltering heat and high humidity in a crumbling venue. People laid out on the grass in various stages of dehydration. So what do the Boys do? They give us a great show! Second set sparkles from top to bottom. Fun Lovelight.

Phlly was my home base, grew up in the area, and caught the majoity of my shows in philly. It was extremely hot this day!! I remember being up front along the rail as the other posted, except i remeber security on the other side of the rail squirting everyone down in the front with hoses, and what a relief it was. The music was incredible, I too remeber that SOTM and the scarlet>fire was on fire.
As for the end of JFK, for those who never knew. The Sixers and the Flyers wanted a new venue, they were sick of the Spectrum. Now at this time in the late 80s and early 90s, these teams sucked. They could not sell out the curent venue, so why the hell should they deserve a new bigger and better venue, right? They threatened the city of Philadelphia if they did not build them one that they would move across the river to Camden. Jfk was in dire need of repair, so let's tear down JFK and build a new venue there, it would cost too much to repair JFK. The stadium was actually condemned 4 days before the Grateful Dead were to play. The city was afraid of riots so they waited until after the show to announce the closing. The who were scheduled 2 days later to play but they moved that across the street to the Vet, which also is now gone. I happened to be friends with the president of the company who had the contarct for repairs to JFK. He told me it was about $100k to make the repairs to the stadium, fairly cheap, they condemned the stadium to make the sixers and flyers stay in Philly.
My favorite venue destroyed by two losing sports teams. Sad but true. JFK could hold 100K people for the record.

Awesome Blow Away.I still get chills when he says " just feel that breeze and let it blow away!" That cool breeze did flow through the stadium, the crowd, and right through me.

this may have been the closest to the rail i ever came, can't quite tell. somehow, in the sweltering heat, a friend and i managed to hang on right up front. we sweat so much that bathrooms were not an issue (sorry).

i dug the new sound. there was more midi in this show than i had yet experienced. it was fun. i had been oddly repelled-attracted to the pay-per-view phantom of the opera sounds from the solstice, so that i was a little prepared. my first standing was well placed out of estimated: gee i like surprises.

overall, the new songs were good songs, and the jams were hearty, a welcomed change from the more rock oriented preceeding years. i particulary dug the scarlet->fire transition and the estimated jam. after the show, my pal was muttering amazement about knockin', it really got him (he was more accustomed to firehose and descendants shows).

after we exited the stadium -- sticky, grimy, fade out glory -- we ran into a friend who had the misfortune to be back in the stands. he said it was as though he was listening to the band through a transistor a.m. radio. oops, sorry dude, we dug the hell out of it. be glad this is a crispy healy.

This was the last concert at this venue.I went to college in Deleware and made the trip for this show.There were atleast over 80,000 people at his gig.I remember hearing SOTM for the first time,as well as Blow away.I also remember a guy 2 feet from me totaly wiggin out on some strong shit!
Monster Scarlet>fire and for the most part,a nice show.Check out the transition jam form scar>fire.Well worth the download.What I want to know ARE....WHERE ARE THE GIANTS SHOWS A FEW DAYS LATER??????

Maybe a week before I went to this show my Dad told my family that were were moving from Germantown (a neighborhood in Philadelphia) to Berkeley, California in August. I don't think any of that had hit me until I heard "Standing On The Moon" for the very first time ever at this show.

"Somewhere in San Francisco in a back porch in July"

That line would ring in my head for months through saying goodbye to my friends at Abington Friends School, where I had just finished my freshman year of highschool, and to our friends from our years living at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, where my Dad was a professor. And it kept ringing in my head on the trip west, as we moved into our new family home, as I began life at Berkeley High Schoool and began seeing many more shows a year than I'd ever imagined possible before the move.

One of the things about the Grateful Dead that continues to amaze me is how much the stories these songs tell are, in fact, our own stories.

I'm not a huge fan of Matrix Tapes, and this is hardly as exciting as the setlists we'd see come October of '89, but this show is more than worth a listen.

"The coast of California must be somewhere over here, over here!"